Obesity - disability, impairment, disease? Depends

Does Obesity Qualify as a Disability Under the ADA? – It Depends on Who You Ask (US)

According to the most recent data from the Center for Disease Control, more than one-third of American adults are obese.  A person is considered obese when their weight is higher than what is considered as a ...

"Fat shaming" at work can cost more than money, a lot of money

"Fat shaming" costs employer big bucks

Buff employers, beware!

A jury recently awarded $500 grand to a restaurant server in Las Vegas for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The server claimed that a sign calling him "Fat Andy" was posted at his wait station and was left there for several months, even though he'd made rep...

Workplace Christmas Quiz (this is legit and will secondarily eat up some time before you get to go home)

This blog was written by Robin Shea at Constangy, which authors our Model Policies and Forms for Georgia Employers and our New Jersey Human Resources Manual. You can find the original ...

Depression – what can an employer do?

Depression is an illness. Depression can be treated. Depression should not be ignored.

And the holidays can carry lots of triggers: sentimental memories, loneliness, less sunlight, changes in diet/routine, alcohol at parties, end-of-year timelines at work, unrealistic expectations.

What can you, as an employer, do?

Read "

Disability – Dr. or employee approved?

This blog was written by Fiona W. Ong at Shawe Rosenthal, author of our Maryland Human Resources Manual. You can find the original blog and their ...

Disability/pregnancy practices – what not to practice

This blog was written by Robin Shea at Constangy, which authors our Model Policies and Forms for Georgia Employers and our New Jersey Human Resources Manual. You can find the 

Bad mix – accommodation request and firing

This blog was written by Robin Shea at Constangy, which authors our Model Policies and Forms for Georgia Employers and our New Jersey Human Resources Manual. You can find the 

I'll take "ADA in 5s?" please Alex

David K. Fram, director of the National Employment Law Institute's (NELI) ADA & Equal Employment Opportunity Services, says there are five words every supervisor should use when it comes to the ADA and reasonable accommodations:

"How can I help you?"

In Katie Clarey's article for HR Dive, "

Being at work full time is not an essential function of a job?

Treating service animal requests (always treat the animal)

Service animal pop quiz (yes/no):

• The ADA permits assistance dogs to be with their person where members of the public can go (yes)
• The ADA requires service dogs to be professionally trained (no)
• Minature horses are covered under the ADA and Great Danes can be the size of miniature horses (yes and yes - I saw two at the dog park last night)

Job tasks and essential functions under the ADA

This blog was written by Richard R. Meneghello and Myra K. Creighton at Fisher Phillips, which authors several of our resources. You can find the original ADA Flurry II article, the original

No, you can't sleep on the job

This blog was written by Shelby Skeabeck, formerly of Shawe Rosenthal, author of our Maryland Human Resources Manual. You can find the original blog post here and their Labor & Employment Report newsletter (which is excellent) 

"We need to talk" isn't any easier to say than to hear

This blog was written by Mathew Parker at Fisher Phillips, which authors several of our resources. You can find the original here and their On the Front Lines Workplace Law Newsletter (which is excellent) 

PS: PTSD IRL*

Obvious fact: you want to make sure your employees are taken care of.

Not so obvious fact: some of them might be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Possibly even shocking fact: your workers’ compensation plan may cover PTSD treatment.

Want to learn more about PTSD in the workplace and what treatment options are available? Our friends at ...

Is the employee "disabled" under the ADA?

This blog was written by Richard R. Meneghello and Myra K. Creighton at Fisher Phillips, which authors several of our resources. You can find the original here and their On the Front Lines Workplace Law Newsletter (which is excellent) 

How to approach an employee showing signs of cognitive decline

Dear Littler: We have an employee who is exhibiting signs of dementia or some other sort of cognitive impairment. He has fallen asleep at work a few times recently and seems confused by tasks that did not pose any problem for him in the past. His performance was solid for years but started declining in the past several months, along with his attention to detail...

What is the ADA?

This blog is an excerpt from our book An Employer's Guide to FMLA and ADA, authored by Nancy Van der Veer Holt at Ford Harrison LLP. For more state specific leave information, go to the Products tab above and subscribe to the Human Resources Manual for your state.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed by President George H. W. Bu...